Paintball marking guns are used in a variety of targeting and simulated battle games (e.g., capture the flag). These guns launch a ball of paint with a frangible shell that is designed to hold the ball shape until striking an object after firing. Upon striking the object, the ball is set to break open leaving a paint spot.
Paintball guns typically employ a firing system powered by compressed gas such as air. Compressed air is supplied from a canister which is mounted to or carried with the gun. The gun systems also include a gun body, a paintball hopper and one or more pressure regulators which receive gas from the tank at a relatively high pressure and deliver gas at a reduced, more consistent pressure to the gun body for propelling the paintball.
The pressure regulators are modular and typically include at least two major components interconnected with threaded portions. One well-accepted type of gun system design calls for a pressure regulator to be threaded directly into the supply canister (i.e., tank) at one end and threaded into a receptacle mounted to the gun grip at the other end.
Although modular paintball regulator designs are preferred for performance and maintenance, it is a concern that paintball regulator parts may be inadvertently separated when a paintball player attempts to remove the regulator-tank combination from the paintball gun. If such parts are disassembled before the canister is discharged, the ultimate separation can be violent and therefore unsafe.
Separate from the safety issues are concerns about delay and thread wear. Paintball players often prefer to use the same gun with different tank-regulator combinations in the same tournament or round of play. Likewise, players may wish to have a fresh charge of propellant without refilling by swapping in a new filled propellant tank. Finally, frequent assembly and disassembly at the threaded connections between among the tanks, regulators and gun-mounted receptacles causes damaging
Paintball guns include pneumatic designs where compressed gas is being used to power those guns and expell paintball. The gas from the gas tank is received at relatively high pressure to the regulator which delivers gas to the paintball gun at reduced more consistent pressure. The most popular mounting method of the regulator to the gun is an ASA threaded connection, where the regulator includes a male threaded end with sealing rings and a check valve with a valve pin ready to be pushed to open gas flow, and a the female threaded receptacle mounted on the paintball gun with sealing land to provide sealed connection with the regulator. The extending pin located inside the ASA receptacle pushes the check valve pin to the open position during the mounting process. The sequence of events while connecting regulator to the gun is such: the regulator is screwed into the gun's adapter, and then during this process a sealed connecting is created between the regulator and the gun input receptacle, the extending pin located inside the adapter will start pushing on the check valve pin and subsequently open compressed gas flow from the pressure regulator to the gun.
A disadvantage of this type connection is that opening for the gas flow is provided before the regulator is fully secured and received into the adapter. This early opening can be a problem when a charged tank is being connected to a gun. As soon as slight channel for gas flow is provided, gas exerts pressure and therefore creates resistance between the components. More specifically, opposing forces are exerted on the face of the regulator and on internal surface of the adapter. In case of tank gas pressure of 850 psi, the force on a given component can be as much as 320 lbs. After the small gas flow channel is first created, additional turns are needed for the check valve to be fully open and therefore provide a proper full-flow channel to power the paintball gun. Those few additional turns under pressure have an especially adverse effect on the micro-finish of the thread surface. Frequent mounting and unmounting cycles lead to a distortion of the threads to the point of a friction welding phenomenon, especially when both connecting parts are made of aluminum. Utilization of aluminum as a choice of material is due to a light weight which is an important factor for a paintball players.
The above described friction welding problem can contribute to safety risks during disassembly of the main parts of the regulator (see FIG. 1). since the regulator piston housing becomes friction welded to the adapter at the thread connection, the two main parts of the regulator (i.e., piston housing and main body) are more likely to be inadvertently disassembled when the user continues forcing the process of unscrewing.
What is needed is a paintball gun system which provides a safer, faster and/or more reliable interconnection among the tank, regulator and gun receptacle/input components.